Symmetry and asymmetry of ionospheric weather at magnetic conjugate points for two midlatitude observatories

Variations of the ionospheric weather W-index for two midlatitude observatories, namely, Grahamstown and Hermanus, and their conjugate counterpart locations in Africa are studied for a period from October 2010 to December 2011. The observatories are located in the longitude sector, which has consistent magnetic equator and geographic equator so that geomagnetic latitudes of the line of force are very close to the corresponding geographic latitudes providing opportunity to ignore the impact of the difference of the gravitational field and the geomagnetic field at the conjugate points on the ionosphere structure and dynamics. The ionosondes of Grahamstown and Hermanus provide data of the critical frequency (foF2), and Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) provide the total electron content (TECgps) along the magnetic field line up to the conjugate point in the opposite hemisphere. The global model of the ionosphere, International Reference Ionosphere, extended to the plasmasphere altitude of 20,200 km (IRI-Plas) is used to deliver the F2 layer peak parameters from TECgps at the magnetic conjugate area. The evidence is obtained that the electron gas heated by day and cooled by night at the summer hemisphere as compared with the opposite features in the conjugate winter hemisphere testifies on a reversal of plasma fluxes along the magnetic field line by the solar terminator. The ionospheric weather W-index is derived from NmF2 (related with foF2) and TECgps data. It is found that symmetry of W-index behavior in the magnetic conjugate hemispheres is dominant for the equinoxes when plasma movement along the magnetic line of force is imposed on symmetrical background electron density and electron content. Asymmetry of the ionospheric storm effects is observed for solstices when the plasma diffuse down more slowly into the colder winter hemisphere than into the warmer summer hemisphere inducing either plasma increase (positive phase) or decrease (negative phase of W-index) in the ionospheric and plasmaspheric plasma density.     

Quality variation of GPS satellite clocks on-orbit using IGS clock products

Over 60% clocks on board of the GPS satellites are working longer than their designed life. Therefore realizing their stabilities in a long time scales is essential to GPS navigation and positioning plus IGS time scale maintaining. IGS clock products from 2001 to 2010 are used to analyze the GPS satellite clock qualities such as frequency stabilities and clock noise level. We find out that for the clocks of Block IIA satellites the frequency stabilities and clock noise are 10 times worse than that of the Block IIR and IIR-M satellites. Moreover, the linear relationships between frequency stabilities and clock residuals have been deduced with an accuracy of better than 0.02 ns. Specially, it is noticed that the clock of the PRN27 is instable and the relationship between the frequency stability and residuals is at least a quadratic curve. Therefore, we suggested that GPS satellite clocks should be weighted by their quality levels in application, and the observations of the Block IIA should not be used for real-time positioning which required precision better than one meter.     

基于拟平均根数之差的航天器相对导航UKF滤波算法

针对星载雷达数据(距离及其变率、角度及其变率),推导了以相对拟平均根数为状态变量的星间相对导航UKF滤波算法.建立了包含J2一阶长期项摄动的状态转移方程.推导了无奇点的相对拟平均根数与相对位置速度之间的转换矩阵,并分析了坐标变换中被忽略的二阶项的影响,对转换矩阵的精度进行了有效补偿.提出以相对位置速度为直接观测量,设计了具有自调整功能的测量误差协方差阵,避免了建立观测方程时状态量对直接观测量的繁琐偏导计算.仿真结果证明了该算法的有效性.     

Comparison of satellite orbit ephemerides for use in GPS meteorology

This paper discusses GPS (Global Position System) meteorology. The research presented is based on a comparison of values of precipitable water vapour PWV, based on GPS measurements using final and predicted ephemerides of satellite orbits. We analysed recent year’s improvement in predicting ephemerides. We compared the data outputs from a radiosonde using GPS receiver measurements directly from the meteorological station from which the radiosondes were launched. The results indicate a high quality of the predicted ephemerides. This finding makes predicted ephemerides highly usable for near real-time estimations of PWV. To use PWV in meteorological forecast applications, this high speed of PWV values supply is necessary.     

Investigation into impact of tropical cyclones on the ionosphere using GPS sounding and NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data

Ionospheric response to tropical cyclones (TCs) was estimated experimentally on the example of three powerful cyclones – KATRINA (23–31 August 2005), RITA (18–26 September 2005), and WILMA (15–25 October 2005). These TCs were active near the USA Atlantic coast. Investigation was based on Total Electron Content (TEC) data from the international network of two-frequency ground-based GPS receivers and the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data. We studied the spatial–temporal dynamics of wave TEC disturbances over two periods of ranges (02–20 min and 20–60 min). To select the ionospheric disturbances which were most likely to be associated with the cyclones, maps of TEC disturbances were compared with those of meteorological parameters.     

Dynamic orbit propagation in a gravitational field of an inhomogeneous attractive body using the Lagrange coefficients

The analytical methods have nearly been replaced by the numerical methods due to their higher accuracy and accessibility of computation facilities. The semi-analytical Lagrange method of orbit propagation using f and g series is a competitive alternative to the numerical integration technique if the Lagrange coefficients are derived in a full gravitational field. In this paper, a generalization of the Lagrange method of orbit propagation is introduced. In other words, we introduce a complete form of the Lagrange coefficients in all force fields developed in the spherical harmonics for example full gravitational field of the Earth. The method is numerically compared with the numerical integration technique. In order to show the numerical performance of the method, it has been implemented for orbit propagation of a GPS-like MEO and CHAMP-like LEO satellites. Discrepancy at centimeter level for CHAMP-like and sub-millimeter accuracy for GPS-like satellites shows relatively high performance of the developed algorithm. Compared to integration method, the proposed Lagrange method is nearly faster by a factor two for small Nmax and four for large Nmax.     

基于GPS的直升机航迹测量系统

基于GPS直升机航迹测量系统是利用高精度的GPS实时RTK、逆向RTK和事后动态载波相位差分技术,用于直升机飞行试验中的航迹、速度、高度等信息的测量和实时显示。同时系统融合了高速无线数字通讯技术、惯导设备等多种高新技术。     

导航战中的GPS干扰研究

导航战已经成为信息战的重要组成部分,GPS干扰是导航战的主要作战方式。文章从不同角度分析了GPS干扰的可行性及干扰策略,对GPS干扰的不同样式进行分析,研究了压制式干扰和欺骗式干扰的原理,并对干扰效果进行了计算。结合多种电子对抗作战平台,提出了GPS干扰的不同途径,为GPS干扰技术以及对抗装备的发展研究提供借鉴。     

Antenna for precise orbit determination

The ESA SWARM mission will consist of three satellites that will measure the Earth magnetic field. The system calls for metre accuracy knowledge of the measurement locations. To achieve this a GPS receiver is used. At least four GPS signals are tracked to determine the code and carrier ranges, from which the position can be derived. The accuracy improves when using more GPS satellites and by averaging over many measurements. The latter is achieved in ground processing with a model-based orbit prediction, resulting in cm accuracy. The main error contributions in the processing are often measurement errors due to satellite multi-path effects. The multipath effects are characterized by measuring the antenna on a 1.5 m mock-up, representing the 9 m long satellite. In order to verify that the mock-up is representative, extensive electromagnetic simulations were made. The simulations included the antenna and the complete satellite and were then reduced to the antenna and a section of the satellite. The actual design of the antenna was performed with several levels of software. First, a fast bodies-of-revolution simulation found a geometry with the right coverage. Then, a finite element method simulation allowed us to match the antenna at two frequencies simultaneously.     

真航向测量系统初始对准中的UKF应用研究

研究了“真航向测量系统”（简称TNDS True North Determination System) , TNDS组合中等精度的INS和MS860型GPS系统,应用UKF (Unscented Kalman Filter）最优估计滤波算法,实现的高精度快速初始对准。论文重点推导了TNDS初始对准的非线性误差模型,并实现了TNDS中基于该模型的UKF滤波,TNDS系统的UKF组合初始对准算法最后进行系统试验测试。试验数据表明：采用了UKF滤波后,TNDS的航向初始对准中,航向失准角为25. 时,达到同样的对准精度0.1. , INS自对准时间由原来的2879s缩短为179s;纵横摇的失准角对准到同样的精度内,时间相应的减小了一个量级;同时TNDS速度的发散也得到了抑制。